Tuesday 3 July 2012

Dishwasher Dilemma

Last Thursday I merrily went to open the dishwasher to get out a knife to make a sandwich  - and the door wouldn't budge.  I gave it a couple of good tugs and nothing.  Then I got my husband to have a go - still nothing.  So we heaved and jiggled it, banged it and budged it - still nothing.  Then we thought we would leave it till the morning and perhaps it would sort itself out.

Every so often we would walk past and give it a sneaky tug, as if perhaps it was just playing with us and if we snuck up on it, it would be caught unawares.

Of course, the door remained firmly closed, with all our cutlery inside.

These were the only knives we had left.


A Tombilboo childrens knife or a cleaver - try eating with those!

We had to admit defeat and call in the repair man who had to break open the door.

So now I have a dilemma - to fix our dishwasher we need a new door which will cost £250+, or buy a new machine.

In theory we should fix ours, but it is old and not very good and probably uses loads of water (am I just trying to make myself feel better!).  A new one would be far more ecological.

But my main dilemma is do we really need a dishwasher at all?  Is it a luxury or a necessity?  Washing up is not that much of a chore and I am certain I could spend my money on something far more important. We hardly used the last one, so I don't really want to replace it.

I am happy to do without, but hubby is not so sure.

Do you do without?

10 comments:

  1. Our dishwasher bit the dust a few months ago, we are getting by, but I have noticed how much time I spend washing up (and as we are on a well system I worry about how much water we are using). Funny we discussed it today, should we get one now or wait until later in the year. I haven't been without a dishwasher in 22yrs...I hate it!!
    Jane x

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  2. I ws firmly against getting a dishwasher. I thought it was a bit of a luxury, and I was being lazy in wanting one. But then Mr A bought me one anyway...

    I love it! It saves so much time and water. I reckon it counts as a necessity, now. After all, I don't do my clothes on a washboard anymore. Why not automate dishes too?

    Still chuckling at you being stuck with just a tomliboo knife, though. Was it Oo, Ee or Un?

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  3. We have never had one and wouldn't get one. Water wise, the great 'they' reckon a dishwasher uses less overall but we wash up after every meal using around 3-4" in the sink. It takes us less than 5 minutes for breakfast and lunch and probably 10 minutes or so for our main meal in the evening. We spend this time chatting about things. When J. lived at home other than eating around the table, this was the only other time we could all have a chat and a giggle. OH washes, I dry (sometimes other way around. Also, we don't have enough pots/cutlery to leave everything for a day or so before washing them up.

    We have never ever considered it a chore - its a mindset thing I guess. If you don't want or have time hanwashing, get a new one. Some are slimline and very water efficient.

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  4. Like datacreata I've never had a dishwasher. When we go on holiday and there's one in the cottage we don't use that either. I find that doing the pots doesn't really take that long, even though I cook from scratch and bake. You could always try without one for a while - perhaps while you research to find one that's the most energy/ water efficient/ best meets your needs - then replace it if you find you really don't like washing up by hand. I definitely wouldn't spend that much on replacing the door of an old machine though.

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  5. I would google how to fix it myself (and by me I mean my husband!). There is probably some kind of guide on youtube. I love my dishwasher. I uses limited water and electricity but saves me time, more water and heating the water (gas). If handwashing we do use quite a lot of water though as OH isn't good with the idea of washing up in a pool of water as he was brought up to wash in running water. Go on, you can do it!

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  6. We've had dishwashers in the last four houses and I can honestly say have only ever used them half a dozen times. My current dishwasher I use to store my washing powder in and can't wait till we get the kitchen refitted so that I can take it out and replace it with a proper cupboard. As for the washing up well during the day every time I stick the kettle on I wash any dirty dishes whilst I wait for it to boil, that way it doesn't take any time at all plus it stops me raiding the biscuit tin lol

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  7. I would ditch your old one - see how you get on without one for a few months and then buy another.
    There comes to a point when repairing isn't worth it.
    New ones are generally much cheaper and are more water and energy efficient.
    We kept having our washing machine repaired and when I finally gave up and bought a new one I couldn't believe how fantastic it was.
    We found our old receipt and when we bought it in 1998 it was actually £50 more than our new one.

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  8. I would NOT be without a dishwasher, as my family always seem to be 'busy' when it comes to clean up time! We do not have one at our holiday home & I really miss it when it comes to cleaning up greasy plates, various utensils & cookware. This also reminds me of the hygiene side of things as not everyone washes dishes well & I cannot bear taking a plate or glass out to find its still got food residue on it! New ones are definitely more efficient water & energy wise. If you decide to keep one on, remember to use Google for future repairs as this has saved us several $ over the years on various appliances. Good Luck with your decision :)

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  9. Never had one never want one.

    Sft x

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  10. hello
    i would not be withoout a dishwasher,because it save time and water
    i live in germany.
    I like your blog!
    wish you a nice evening,
    regina

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